Repository: The United Church of Canada Archives Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Conference and All Native Circle Conference

Retrieval Numbers: Accession: Ex-89; I.D.: 3070; Location: PP9

Historical Note

Roscoe in his study, 1909, from his memoir. UCArchivesWpg Chapin 03

Rev. Roscoe Tamner Chapin (1889-1988) served the United Church of Canada for over forty years. Roscoe Chapin was born in Uxbridge, Ontario, in 1889. He attended Victoria College in Toronto from 1913 to 1916, and served with the Air force from 1917 to 1918. He later graduated with an Arts degree in 1919, and from theology the following year.

Chapin was ordained and began teaching school in Norway House, Manitoba in 1920, where his wife Etta had already been working. From 1922 to 1930, Rev. Chapin did missionary work at Island Lake Mission, Manitoba, and from 1930 to 1934 he served the Rossville Mission in Norway House. In 1934, Rev. Chapin became principal of the Indian Residential School in Norway House and he remained there until 1941. He subsequently became principal of the Brandon Residential School (Manitoba) until 1944.

Chapin then ministered to the Melville (Saskatchewan) Pastoral Charge for seven years. From 1951 until 1958, Chapin served the Greenbank Pastoral Charge (Ontario). Though he retired in 1957, Chapin continued his work, serving the Box Grove Church from 1959 to 1964 during his retirement in Unionville, Ontario. Rev. Chapin composed his memoirs.

Roscoe Chapin married Etta Flavelle in August of 1920 and the couple had two children: Donny (who died at a young age), and Joan.

Scope and Content

The surviving records of Rev. Roscoe T. Chapin include: Personal memoirs, entitled Memoirs of a Happy Journey Through Life (containing text, 11 b/w and 8 colour photographs), one original copy dating from 1972, and one later copy dating from 1974.

Related Material in this Repository

A Biographical File is available. Also see the Dorinda Sturdy Stonehouse Fonds. Sturdy documented a journey that she made with Chapin, Etta and Chapin’s father, in the company of unnamed Aboriginal guides, in 1922.

Custodial History

The records of Rev. Roscoe T. Chapin came to the archives of the Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario as part of a transfer of records around 1970. No further information regarding the provenance or donation of these records is available.

Photographs collected by Rev. Chapin were accessioned to the Archives of Manitoba, see Roscoe Tamner Chapin Fonds.

Finding Aid

Item level inventory available. All 18 photographs from the Memoirs have been digitized.

Documentation Digitization

Relevant items in this fonds related to Indian Residential Schools are included in The United Church of Canada Archives Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Conference and All Native Circle Conference 2014 Index of IRS Related Records and were digitized for submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Contact the Archivist for more information.

Language: The records are in English.

Restriction on Access: No restrictions apply.

Accruals: No further accruals are expected.

United Church of Canada ArchivesManitoba Northwestern Ontario & All Native Circle Conferences